The city of Half Moon Bay said it is working on getting into compliance with state housing laws after Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that the city could face legal action if it does not allow for more housing to be built.
The city recently received a notice from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which said that the city’s Housing Element does not include the required zoning changes needed for more housing development. Every local jurisdiction in the state is mandated to create a Housing Element that outlines a plan to meet housing needs for residents at every income level.
Half Moon Bay is one of 15 jurisdictions that received the notice last week. The city was given 30 days to respond.
“I’m disappointed on behalf of the state and the people of California that after years of effort, we still have communities that aren’t meeting the needs of their residents,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’ll keep pushing forward by enforcing the law, fighting NIMBY actions, and holding local governments accountable, because every Californian deserves a place to call home.”
Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester is hoping that HCD will recognize the city’s barriers to getting into compliance.
“The general concern or challenge for us in completing this on schedule over the last several years stems from a couple of things that I think make Half Moon Bay unique,” Chidester said in an interview.
Navigating an ‘extra layer’ of bureaucracy
As a coastside city, Half Moon Bay is required to go through the California Coastal Commission for approval of zoning changes in its Housing Element, a process that can slow down the city’s ability to build more housing.
“For us, we have to get those through the Coastal Commission before they’re fully adopted,” Chidester said. “That’s why our timeline isn’t meeting the expectations of HCD and the governor, because we have this extra layer that we cannot get around.”
Half Moon Bay also has a local measure that places a cap on the amount of new housing that can be approved annually. Measure D, a citizen-led initiative approved by voters in 1999, limits population growth to between 1-1.5% annually, and any new residential development must obtain a Measure D permit.
The city is considering putting forth a ballot measure to voters that modifies Measure D to allow for less restrictions on housing development.
“There’s a whole process we go through each year to determine the number of what we call Measure D certificates that will be allocated to developers each year for residential housing,” Chidester said. “That is something that was a great discussion during the development of the Housing Element, and between HCD, the Coastal Commission and the city.”
But local pressure against housing development has also caused delays.
One development that has divided residents is an affordable housing complex for older farmworkers at 555 Kelly Ave. in the downtown area.
The project was started in response to a 2023 mass shooting allegedly by a farmworker that killed seven people. The shooting exposed the poor living conditions of some farmworkers in the coastal community, prompting calls to create an affordable housing development for the city’s older farmworkers.
Farmworker housing project stalls
But delays in permitting and community concerns over the size and scope of the project have stalled its development. The 40-unit project has been in the works for more than two years but has yet to break ground.
The city and developer are currently working on a land lease and development agreement.
“The public hearings for the permits going back into 2024 have been really, really divisive, and there has been significant public pushback,” Chidester said. “There’s also been a lot of public support. That’s what the council is navigating.”
In response to the warning from Newsom, the city has scheduled a call with HCD and is hoping that HCD will understand why the city is not yet in compliance with its Housing Element.
“Half Moon Bay is committed to working collaboratively with state partners to meet housing requirements and expand housing opportunities for residents at all income levels. We are continuing to advance the steps needed to move toward compliance.”
Mayor Debbie Ruddock
“We’re confident that when we sit down with HCD and go through the process, they’ll understand how we got to the timeline that we’ve offered them and understand that that is the most aggressive timeline that we can offer from a legal standpoint,” Chidester said.
For the zoning amendments at issue in the city’s Housing Element, Half Moon Bay is expecting to have them approved in October, Chidester said.
“Half Moon Bay is committed to working collaboratively with state partners to meet housing requirements and expand housing opportunities for residents at all income levels,” said Mayor Debbie Ruddock in a statement. “We are continuing to advance the steps needed to move toward compliance.”
